Restless Night
by Draco the Spirit Dragon
Summary: POST TIMESKIP. When sleep won't come for Rukia, she decides to leave her bed and tries to find peace in the night... instead she find a man with a straw hat and a pink flowered kimono.
1. Chapter 1

A Restless Night : Part One

"_Stop in the name of the law!" Ichigo shouted as he aimed his pistol at the bank robber. The man, who was wearing a black mask, decided to answer by firing his own gun in Ichigo's general direction. _

"_Shit!" The strawberry headed police sergeant exclaimed as he ducked behind the relative cover of the nearby pillar. "Why the hell are you shooting that dam thing at me for? Someone could get hurt dam it!"_

_A few more shots were fired in Ichigo's general direction as the masked robber shouted." That's the idea!" _

"_Look I don't care how much money in that bag!" Ichigo shouted. "If you kill anyone with that gun, you pretty much dammed your soul to hell and if that doesn't bother you there is also no way us cops would ever stop hunting you down if you killed one of us your dam idiot!"_

"_I'm not an idiot copper!" The robber yelled as he fired a few more rounds in Ichigo direction. Ichigo smiled to himself as the rounds bounced off the concrete behind him, the idiot was now going to have to reload, which of course took a fair few seconds and required some concentration._

"_You're under arrest punk!" Tatsuki shouted. Ichigo managed to pop himself around the pillar in time to see the effect of well aimed roundhouse kick on the mans hand, sending the gun flying, and had a great view of the follow up of the fist that landed under the robbers chin._

_She had already cuffed him by the time he got over to the two of them; Tatsuki didn't mess around when it came to getting dangerous criminals under control. _

"_Thanks for the distraction Office Strawberry." Tatsuki said with a playful smile and nod. "The idiots of this world just can't seem to ignore that hair of yours."_

_Ichigo smirked back at her._

"_So you're finally admitting you're an idiot then?" Ichigo said as he leaned in closer to Tatsuki. _

"_Well I live in the same apartment as you, work with you everyday and now and again I even…" Tatsuki said cheerfully before pausing briefly to frown and stamp her foot on the robbers hand as he tried to slowly crawl away. "… Share your bed. So I must be a complete utter idiot."_

_Ichigo placed his hand under her chin._

"_And you're the idiot who was always there" Ichigo spoke softly. "I'm never going to forget that."_

Rukia woke from her daze in the Kuchiki Estate, sweating and ill at ease. It been only a week since she had said goodbye to Ichigo, a week since she left his life forever, and the guilt was already setting in.

She put on her Shinigami uniform and left her room, it was way past midnight and by all rights she should have been trying to get back asleep, but Rukia had already spent far too many nights restless in her bed and only falling truly asleep after the light of day had lit her room. So tonight she was going to try and get some air and see if that helped. It was long shot, but Rukia was growing sick of being stuck with her own thoughts and four walls and right now anything seemed better than that.

It was a cold night. Admittedly Rukia had known far colder, but it was still far from, warm. So she decided to make her way across the rooftops to the Thirteenth Division's training area to quieten her thoughts with a bit of training. It was some distance away from the Kuchiki Estate, but Rukia hardly considered that a problem since she was far from in a rush.

Rukia bounced along the rooftops, but her mind was still far from quiet. Thoughts of Ichigo filled her mind, thoughts of Ichigo kissing Tatsuki, holding Tatsuki, marrying Tatsuki and having several small and adorable children that Ichigo would never abandoned, because Ichigo wasn't the sort of guy who would do such a horrible thing.

Rukia was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't notice that she was being followed.

"Well this is pleasant surprise!" Shunsui shouted cheerfully as he started to jump alongside Rukia. "I happen to be travelling about at night and who do I run into but one of the beautiful women in the Soul Society".

Rukia promptly tripped.

Now several things were going mind as she fell towards the ground. One, it had been a very long time since she had last tripped. Her balance was great, as was her coordination, heck her Zanpakutō's attacks were called dances for crying out loud. Two, hardly anyone ever called her beautiful. Everyone said her Zanpakutō was beautiful, but the complements were always directed towards her blade, not her. And three Rukia was very certain that Shunsui was way too old for her.

She didn't hit the floor.

"Now now Rukia-chan." Shunsui spoke into Rukia's ear as he grabbed her around her chest and stopped her fall.

"Much as you would like to fall for me Rukia-chan, we can't have you literally falling for me, because if you did that Jūshirō-kun would be so mad at me for letting one of his Division hurt themselves on my watch…. And well he's my best drinking buddy."

Rukia quickly wriggled her way out of the Captain arms as she solidified the soul particles under her feet and felt the warmth of embarrassment enter her cheeks.

"Can't a girl get any privacy at this hour?" Rukia shouted loudly in attempt to hide her embarrassment.

"Not with that kind of Reiatsu Rukia-chan." Shunsui said as he stood there in the air in front of her. "It all twisted and messy and feels like it needs a good wash in high quality shampoo."

"Are you comparing Reiatsu to hair?" Rukia asked sharply.

"You mean you don't Rukia-chan?" Shunsui said quizzing. "I mean its weaves about in strands, it's rather complicated and sometimes you really appreciate a good simple wash."

"So how would I dye my Reiatsu then if it's so like hair?" Rukia asked with smirk. There was no way he could continue the allegory with that.

Shunsui smiled.

"Follow me Rukia-chan and I'll show you exactly how you dye your Reiatsu!" Shunsui shouted as he flashed stepped to the top of a building. "Assuming of course you're willing to face the truth of the different hues?"

Rukia raised her left heel slightly with some caution; her captain often warned her of Shunsui's enigmatic nature and tendency to dress things up as games…

"You do want to know don't you Rukia-chan?" Shunsui asked as he looked to her, his face somewhat worried.

"Of course!" Rukia said more confidence than she was feeling before following the captain.


	2. Chapter 2

A Restless Night: Part Two

The place Shunsui took her too was a familiar one; if not one she had visited for quiet some time. It was an old training ground, one that fallen into disuse over the decades and in some areas it was even badly overgrown, but it had been in this old training ground that Rukia had spent many nights mediating and trying to reach her Zanpakutō, before finally releasing Sode no Shirayuki under Kaien tutorage for the first time.

"Ahh this place brings back memories Rukia-chan" Shunsui said in a cheerful manner. "Has Jūshirō-kun ever told you that we both first released our Zanpakutō here at all?"

"No Captain Kyōraku" Rukia said respectfully "Through Shiba-dona trained me here and helped me find my Zanpakutō's name."

"Ahh Kaien-dona." Shunsui said with a serous tone and nod of his head. "He must have picked that idea off Jūshirō-kun."

He turned his back to her briefly as he looked at the moon.

"He was a good drinking buddy too." Shunsui said sombrely before changing to a more upbeat tone. "It was always funny to see him bounce off Lisa-chan too, because he normally acted so cool, but he always fell into embarrassment and shyness when she talked about her romantic conquests!"

Rukia blinked, it was hard thinking of Kaien acting shy, Ichigo easy, but Kaien…

"Why he act so embarrassed for?" Rukia asked curiously.

Shunsui turned and grinned.

"Because all of Lisa-chan's romantic conquests are women and she's very open about exactly how she plays…"

Rukia felt herself turn crimson.

"And believe it or not." Shunsui went on. "When she first entered my Divisions door, she was this shy scared little thing that had asked to join my squad because she had heard I was tolerant and was terrified than any of the other captains would have killed her for her 'weakness'."

Rukia blinked again.

"It's a strange little world isn't it?" Shunsui said as he drew out the smaller of his twin Zanpakutō's. "Live long enough and you'll see berserkers turn into maternal figures and best friends turn into worse enemies. But for now let's see that Zanpakutō Rukia-chan!"

Rukia drew her Sode no Shirayuki.

"I'm ready Captain Kyōraku" Rukia said as she bowed, however she was very rude being kicked in the stomach and across the training area!

"No your not." Shunsui said half playful, half seriously after starting the duel in a very rude manner. "Because if you had been anything close to ready, then that kick wouldn't have connected."

Rukia swore.

"Now Rukia-chan." Shunsui said while waving his finger in a scolding way. "There's no reason to use such impolite words in a friendly duel. It is very bad manners and hurtful."

"So is kicking your training partner in the stomach as she bows!" Rukia screamed at the impolite captain. "I mean even academy students know that a duel doesn't start until after the bow…. What the!"

The reason why Rukia went 'what the!' at this point was because she found herself parrying a sword strike from a flash stepping Shunsui.

"You know, I spend a lot of my time teaching my Division's members to forget that rule." Shunsui spoke joyfully as he continued his blitz of sword strikes. "Because none of the Hollows they have to fight seem to know it!"

Rukia wanted to reply, but the truth of the matter was she was struggling just to keep parrying under the onslaught of blows.

"Battle isn't nice." Shunsui continued. "Battle isn't polite. It's just misery upon misery that drags more and more into its maw as time goes by. Better to fight to win and end the river of blood and tears when you can, rather than let some rules about manners extend it Rukia-chan!"

And with this he booted her once again in the stomach and set her flying across the grounds.

"You can fight better than this." Shunsui said with a sigh as he replaced his Zanpakutō. "Your Reiatsu is all clumped up and your tactics are awful. Comb it a bit and get some kind of game plan together in your head and then we will resume this."

Rukia breathed in deeply and rubbed her aching stomach. Shunsui was insanely strong and even more cunning. Brute force would be pointless and Rukia was pretty confident that Shunsui would see through any tricks she could pull.

"You know I've seen that kind of face before." Shunsui said disapprovingly. "If Ichigo-kun could see it right now, he would be so disappointed in you."

"Don't tell me what Ichigo would think!" Rukia screamed in anger as she charged at Shunsui, Zanpakutō in hand. "You don't know him! You don't understand him! You have no idea what he is truly like!"

Rukia swung Sode no Shirayuki down at the unarmed captain, who promptly grabbed the Zanpakutō and threw Rukia and her blade behind him and once again Rukia found herself on the floor and hurting. This time it was her shoulder that was suffering, through her stomach was still protesting.

"Very true words Rukia-chan." Shunsui said as he turned to look down at Rukia. "But ever since I met young Yasutora-kun I've had more than this little feeling that Ichigo-kun is much more than your friend Rukia-chan."

Shunsui walked over and helped Rukia up, carefully avoiding her injured arm.

"Look at yourself Rukia-chan." Shunsui said with a gentle tone. "You have always been one to blame yourself and treat yourself severely. But even in that context the way you're punishing yourself for your self perceived failure to be there for Ichigo is draconic."

Rukia looked up at Shunsui and the way he looked at her, there was pain in his eyes, guilt in his eyes, hints of some emotion, some reason that Rukia couldn't perceive.

"Tell me Rukia-chan." Shunsui asked sincerely. "Will you be a pathetic creature lost in her self loathing or a guardian of the finest calibre?"

Rukia stood as strongly as she could and spoke firmly.

"You need to ask me such a silly question Captian Kyōraku?"

Rukia smiled as she spoke, and Shunsui returned the smile warmly.

"Elusiveness is a virtue you be wise to cultivate then Rukia-chan." Shunsui said as he drew both his blades. Rukia took his cue and drew her singular blade. "Because if nothing is certain, then anything is possible."

Shunsui came at her with both blades in an unnerving slow manner, Rukia almost forgot to block as the blades came at her.

"Why rush a dance of life and death when you can take your time and wait for the other player to do something silly hum?" Shunsui said as he struck at Rukia again and again with his Zanpakutō's in a slow but unpredictable tempo, that was incredible unnerving to be on the receiving end of.

Suddenly and without warning the tempo was broken by a sudden strike by Shunsui's foot in Rukia's knee. Rukia was distracted long enough for one of those slow blades to touch her neck.

"Don't stop dancing for a moment, no matter what." Shunsui said seriously as he withdrew his Zanpakutō. "Because the price you pay is your life and all the life's that depend on your success."

The slow dance of blades continued.

"Tell me Rukia-chan" Shunsui asked casually as they fought. "Ho do you dye your Reiatsu?"

Rukia wanted to try and answer, but she knew she couldn't afford to take her mind of the fight.

"I'm disappointed Rukia-chan." Shunsui spoke with a tone that matched. "I though yo…"

"Way of Binding Number Four, Hainawa!" Rukia shouted as she shot the rope of energy at the surprised captain mid-sentence. Forcing him to flash step away to a nearby roof.

"Excellent Rukia-chan!" Shunsui shouted from the building top. "Now I'll explain…"

"Dance Sode no Shirayuki!" Rukia said calmly as she released her Zanpakutō, before flash step to the right of Shunsui. "Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!"

The ice blasted from Rukia's Zanpakutō and towards the captain… who wasn't there.

"You telegraph your intent too much Rukia-chan" Shunsui said softly beside Rukia ear with his twin blades near her neck. "Through your learning to see through trickery more."

Rukia smiled softly as she dismissed her Zanpakutō and replaced it in its scabbard.

"It's because I understand your words now Captain Kyōraku." Rukia said softly as Shunsui returned his blades to there scabbards. "And dyes are just like lies we spin around ourselves, hiding our true hues from other people's eyes. But just like dyed hair, if you look careful enough you can often see the hue of what's truly there."

Rukia found herself being spun around and Shunsui eyes staring intently into hers.

"Correct Rukia-chan." Shunsui said softly.

"And I know why you're here Captain Kyōraku." Rukia said firmly. "You don't want me to fail the one I …."

Rukia took a deep breath before continuing.

"The one I love with all my heart, however foolish, problematic or awkward a thing to do that is. Because you've walked my path yourself and have a heart full of kindness as well as regrets."

"Rukia-chan..." Shunsui said again in soft tone, but with the touch of tears in his eyes.

"But less of these words." Rukia said as she closed her eyes and took a few steps back. "I need to learn how to dance better because Ichigo was there when I truly needed him and it would be poor of me to be incapable of returning the favour."

Shunsui smiled brightly at this comment.

"Good job I asked Lisa-chan to assume I be unavailable tomorrow… and possibly the day after." Shunsui said gleeful as he took out his twin blades

And with that the two of them resumed the dance of blades on a most restless of nights.


End file.
